[NFB-NM] FW: Scam alert: Things a COVID-19 contact tracer wouldn't say - Medical Xpress 2020 08 20

Sat Aug 22 22:34:35 UTC 2020

Best wishes,

Tonia Trapp, secretary
National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico

From: Trapp, Greg, CFB <Greg.Trapp at state.nm.us> 
Sent: Saturday, August 22, 2020 1:30 PM
To: 'nfbnewmexicosecretary at gmail.com' <nfbnewmexicosecretary at gmail.com>
Subject: Scam alert: Things a COVID-19 contact tracer wouldn't say - Medical
Xpress 2020 08 20

by Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News Credit: CC0 Public Domain State
officials and federal agencies warn there's a new phone scam circulating:
Some callers posing as COVID-19 contact tracers try to pry credit card or
bank account information from unsuspecting victims. The grifters apparently
are taking advantage of a genuine public health intervention that's crucial
to stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus: contact tracing . In one
such scheme, detailed in a warning from the Montana attorney general,
scammers tell their victims, "I'm calling from your local health department
to let you know that you have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19.
Then they move in for the kill, asking for payment information "before we
continue. Don't fall for that, say public health advocates and officials.
Legitimate contact tracers don't ask for payment or seek other financial
information. "That is absolutely not part of the process," said Crystal
Watson, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
"No one should give bank information or credit card information. Real
contact tracers generally work for health departments. They contact
COVID-19-positive patients to track symptoms; they help the people they call
figure out how to isolate themselves from others until they clear the virus,
and determine which friends, neighbors, colleagues or acquaintances they
might have been near in the days just before or after they tested positive
for the coronavirus . Those contacts, in turn, are sought out by the
tracers, who are in a race against the clock, hoping to get those folks to
quarantine as well. This tried-and-true public health tool (along with
hand-washing, wearing a mask in public and maintaining 6 feet of physical
distance from people outside your household) is one of the few strategies
available to slow the spread of the virus while scientists work on
treatments and vaccines. Legitimate contact tracing is being employed widely
in some areas, such as the District of Columbia and Hawaii, and has been
credited with helping countries such as New Zealand and Taiwan contain the
virus. But with this success also comes bad actors. The Federal Trade
Commission, Department of Justice, and Department of Health and Human
Services, as well as the Better Business Bureau and state law enforcement
and health officials from across the nation, have issued consumer alerts
about unscrup            ulous people not affiliated with health departments
using phone calls , texts or emails to get personal information from those
they scam. What differentiates a real call from a fake one? For one thing,
legitimate tracing calls might be preceded by a text message, notifying
patients of an upcoming call from the health department. Then, in that
initial call, the legitimate tracer seeks to confirm an address and
birthdate, especially if you are the COVID-positive patient, Watson said.
"They ask about your identity to make sure you are the person they are
trying to reach so they don't disclose potentially private information to
the wrong person," Watson said. The tracers can also help people who must
isolate or quarantine by connecting them with resources, such as food or
medicine delivery. "Some can even provide you with a separate place to
quarantine safely" if, for example, you live in a multigenerational house
with no separate bathroom or bedroom in which to isolate, said Watson. At
the end of the call, the tracer may ask if they can call or text you in the
coming days to check on how any symptoms may be progressing. What should you
watch for? Be concerned if you get an initial text asking you to click on a
link, which might be spam and could download software onto your phone, the
FTC warned in May. "Unlike a legitimate text message from a health
department, which only wants to let you know they'll be calling, this
message includes a link to click," the agency said. Another clear red alert:
being asked for your Social Security number. Contact tracers in most regions
do not ask your immigration or financial status, either. Also, watch out if
any names of COVID-19 patients are provided. "An authorized contact tracer
will not disclose the identity of the person who tested positive and is the
starting place for that tracing effort," the Wisconsin attorney general's
office said in a release warning consumers about scams. Another piece of
advice: Do a little research before you respond. "Anytime someone calls you
for information, you should be concerned about who is calling," said Dr.
Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health
Association. "If they are legitimate, you can say 'Give me your name and
phone number' and you can always call them back" after doing some checking.
Did the caller ID indicate the call was from a health department? Some
states are including that information. For example, Virginia's calls are
from the "VDH COVID Team. Call the health department if you have any
questions. "Scammers prefer to prey on individuals who may be more trusting,
are alone, or may respond out of confusion or fear," Pennsylvania Secretary
of Aging Robert Torres said in an Aug. 12 press release. "It's important
that they stay alert about any contact from anyone identifying themselves as
a contact tracer and do not provide personal information until they are sure
the individual and information are legitimate. And, finally, if you think
you've been contacted-by phone, email or text-by a scammer, report it to
agencies, such as your state attorney general's office. "If you see
something, say something," California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said
in a recent consumer alert his office issued. "We are working to track these
impostors. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus
(COVID-19) outbreak Citation : Scam alert: Things a COVID-19 contact tracer
wouldn't say (2020, August 20) retrieved 20 August 2020 from
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-scam-covid-contact-tracer-wouldnt.htm
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